The United States Running
Streak Association has suddenly become very popular.Our organization is in the throes of a growth
spurt.We are reaping the benefits from
the recent wave of favorable publicity surrounding healthier lifestyles
obtainable through regular exercise and proper dieting.Of late, a surge in newspaper stories,
magazine articles and TV news segments about better living choices have
described the many benefits available through a general running program, and
more particularly, through the maintenance of a running streak.Scores of new runners are taking up the
challenge, and our numbers are spiking.Thus, this may be the perfect time to alert newbie runners to the
dangers inherent in any sport or physical activity when one attempts to
accomplish too much too soon.

Most runners or athletes
who sustain injuries suffer them because they lack sufficient training or are
not adequately conditioned or both.Of
course, accidents will always happen, but it is mainly through insufficient
training and inadequate conditioning that most runners are injured.These are the reasons why we have always
cautioned new runners to ease into their streak running programs, and why we
have designated those in the entry-level tier on the active running streak list
as “neophytes.”

We believe and strongly
urge that no one should attempt a daily running streak until they have been
running on a regular basis for at least six months, with no more than three to
five outings per week.As with any
strenuous exercise program, the more one runs the better that person’s body and
brain become adapted to it.It takes
time to develop the experience to tell whether one is under-training or
over-training.Of the two, over-training
is always more dangerous.With
under-training you will not get the full benefit of your training program, but
with over-training come injuries connected with overuse and lack of rest.Trying to differentiate where you are in the
training spectrum between these two extremes is never easy to gauge, but all
the harder to figure out when one is new to an activity and has no personal
guideposts against which to measure his or her progress.

Those in the general
running community who protest against the streak running philosophy make a
valid argument, and they base it solely on overuse concerns.The body does need rest to recuperate and
avoid injuries, just as the soul needs time to regenerate its spirit.However, with enough background and
experience, streak runners can build in ongoing rest breaks into their running
schedule without giving up their streaks.They can do this by running a slower pace or shorter distance at least
once or twice each week.

Although membership in the
Association is not a requirement for listing one’s streak, if one is going to
join the organization it is recommended that they do so prior to the time they
start their streak so that they may glean the benefit of the running and
streaking information published in The
Streak Registry, the USRSA’s quarterly newsletter.

Ideally, a veteran
streaker gets the maximum benefit from his or her running streak by stirring up
the running mix on a constant basis.He
or she will—at different times—run hard or race, run easy or jog, run long or
run short to properly condition him or herself.A typical week’s running schedule might alternate one long run, two or
three medium length runs and three or four shorter runs.As he or she progresses, a streak runner will
throw in some occasional spurts and tempo runs.One may incorporate running hills for a change, or get out on a track
and do repeats every so often.A
veteran runner will keep experimenting with the mix, even looking for new
routes and new training or racing partners.The secret here is to keep searching for ways to continually renew the
running experience; to make it fresh for yourself so that you continue to look
forward to your runs and not feel compelled to have to run.

Throughout my running
career I have listened to many in the running community who disparaged running
streaks for their inherent danger only to learn that the running programs most
of these protestors followed were one-dimensional; that while they ran, they
did little else.Yet, they felt morally
compelled to weigh in on the issue of running every day without rest days. They
raised their voices in putting down the efforts of streak runners based on their
personal viewpoints—often misinformed or uninformed—as to what should
constitute a proper running program.Most gave little true thought to the current realities of running.They did not consider the advances achieved
in sports medicine or the constant improvements in running shoe
technology.They simply parroted the old
saw that “everyone knows you need to take days off.”So to those folks who felt, and still feel,
the need to weigh in on the issue, let me say that yes, streak running can be
dangerous.And yes, occasionally running
can be dangerous.And yes again, even
getting out of bed can be dangerous.In
its broadest sense living is a dangerous activity.

Having acknowledged the
risks, experienced runners, especially streak runners, will also come to
include other forms of physical exercise into their training schedules so as
not to neglect the upper body and other under-utilized muscle groups.Cross-training could include biking or
swimming, yoga or weight workouts, or a variety of alternative forms of
exercise, even stretching and walking.Sufficient sleep, good eating habits and proper hygiene will come to
play roles in staving off the soreness and exhaustion that running brings to a
physically demanding training regimen.Music, reading, a bit of TV, and good old-fashion nap breaks should help
to sooth the soul and calm the beast within us.Even gender-opposite interrelations play an important role.An active lifestyle encompasses the entire
life experience, not just one’s running schedule.

Some record keeping is
also essential.Maintenance of a running
log or training diary to record your activities will provide you with a record
of where you’ve already been.It will
also serve as a roadmap to where you are going.There is no way to build improvement into your program if you have no
means of measuring your past efforts.You should be able to compare current efforts against those previous
results to measure your personal progress.Always remember that—when most of the running community calls for rest
days—you can have them by jogging an easy mile or two and still maintain your
daily streak.Again, once you have
gained at least six months of regular running experience and your joints and muscles
have become acclimated to the stress of running, only then are you ready to
take on a daily running streak.At that
point, a few easy days per week should suffice for regular rest and recovery
periods.

Consider also that if
running every single day is so
hazardous to your health, why is it that the rolls of the USRSA contain the
names of so many streak runners in their 40’s, 50’s, 60’s and even 70’s who
haven’t missed a day of running in 10, 20 or even 30 or more years?Where are all those runners who are suffering
debilitating injuries?

Most importantly, never
lose track of the ideal that your running streak should complement and enhance
the rest of your life, not become the sole focus of your existence.The goal is to improve the quality of your life,
so be alert to the fact that more frequent participation in any one activity to
the exclusion of numerous others ramps up greater opportunities for
injury.Keep your running fresh.Be ever vigilant.Wear clothing visible from a distance.Run facing traffic.Cut a wide path around cars and trucks.Carry ID and a couple of bucks, and never
trust strange dogs or the people who say they won’t bother you.

Finally, embrace and enjoy
the spiritual opportunity that comes through running.Own your streak and your life on your own
terms.You only have this one life to
live.Be happy.